Contactless power transmission device

• US 9,577,465 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2013
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Togano, Hiroki, Matsukura, Keisuke, Tsunekawa, Yuki, Ono, Takuma, Nakashima, Yutaka, Koike, Tsuyoshi, Katsunaga, Hiroshi, Taguchi, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Brian
• Application Number:
  US14/379,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20150028804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/108, 320/109
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/005 without mechanical contact between the collector and the power supply line
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 7/003 for vehicles using stored power (e.g. charging stations)
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A contactless power transmission device includes a switching unit that switches a power transmission line so that a first power is transmitted through the first line when an AC power supply outputs a first AC power and so that a second power is transmitted through a second line when the AC power supply outputs a second AC power. An impedance conversion unit is arranged on the second line that converts an impedance from an output of the AC power supply to a variable load when the second power is transmitted through the second line to approach an impedance from the output of the AC power supply to the variable load when the first power is transmitted through the first line.

Claims

1. A contactless power transmission device comprising:

an AC power supply that outputs an AC power;

a primary coil to which the AC power is inputted;

a secondary coil that receives the AC power from the primary coil in a contactless manner; and

a variable load that varies an impedance in accordance with an inputted power,

wherein the AC power supply is configured to output a first AC power and a second AC power that differs in magnitude to each other as the AC power,

wherein a power transmission line between the AC power supply and the variable load includes a first line and a second line different from the first line, and

wherein the contactless power transmission device further comprises;

a switching unit that switches the power transmission line so that a first power is transmitted through the first line when the AC power supply outputs the first AC power and so that a second power is transmitted through the second line when the AC power supply outputs the second AC power; and

an impedance conversion unit arranged on the second line that converts an impedance from an output of the AC power supply to the variable load when the second power is transmitted through the second line to approach an impedance from the output of the AC power supply to the variable load when the first power is transmitted through the first line.

2. The contactless power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein

the impedance conversion unit includes a switching element, and

the impedance conversion unit adjusts at least one of a duty ratio and a cycle of a switching operation of the switching element to convert the impedance.

3. The contactless power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein

the secondary coil and the variable load are mounted on a vehicle,

the contactless power transmission device further comprises a rectifying unit that rectifies the AC power received by the secondary coil to a DC power,

the variable load is a vehicle battery that is charged by receiving the DC power rectified by the rectifying unit.

4. The contactless power transmission device according to claim 3, wherein

the first power is a power that corresponds to a maximum power capable of being supplied to the vehicle battery.

5. The contactless power transmission device according to claim 1, satisfying at least one of conditions as follows:

a frequency of use of the first power is higher than a frequency of use of the second power; and

a time period during which the first power is supplied is relatively longer than a time period during which the second power is supplied.

6. The contactless power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein

the impedance conversion unit is arranged between the secondary coil and the variable load in the second line.

7. The contactless power transmission device according to claim 2, wherein

the contactless power transmission device further comprises a rectifying unit that rectifies the AC power received by the secondary coil to a DC power,

the impedance conversion unit is a DC/DC converter that converts the DC power rectified by the rectifying unit by the switching operation.